Could Vegas police have taken down the gunman sooner?The revised timeline given by investigators for the Las Vegas massacre raises questions about whether better communication might have allowed police to respond more quickly and take out the gunman before he could kill and wound so many people. On Monday, Sheriff Joe Lombardo said Stephen Paddock shot and wounded a Mandalay Bay hotel security guard outside his door and sprayed 200 shots down the hall six minutes before he opened fire Oct. 1 fro...

Trump lashes 'Liddle Bob Corker' as senators call for calmWASHINGTON— President Donald Trump lashed out at Sen. Bob Corker as "Liddle' Bob Corker" on Tuesday, escalating a feud with the Tennessee Republican who's dubbed the White House an "adult day care center" and charged that Trump could be setting the nation on the path toward World War III. Fellow GOP senators, treading carefully, avoided siding with Trump or with Corker. But leading lawmakers called on both men to end a quarrel that could imper...

Scholarship offer for entering students in B.A.S. program at ATUScholarships are available for eligible individuals interested in pursuing the new online Bachelor of Applied Science degree at Arkansas Tech University. A limited number of $1,000 scholarships will be presented to eligible Bachelor of Applied Science students for the spring 2018 semester. Scholarship applicants must be: Graduates of an Associate of Applied Science degree program New to the ATU Bachelor of Applied Science program for spring 2...

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FOR THE COURIER, SAM STRASNERThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Local to be featured on gameshowWatch local native John Pistone compete on a new episode of the gameshow Divided on GSN network at 8 p.m. Thursday. Look for a full story about his experience in Sunday’s edition of The Courier.

Environmental groups denounce Trump override of climate planHAZARD, Ky. -- A coalition of left-leaning states and environmental groups are vowing to fight the Trump administration's move to kill an Obama-era effort to limit carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. Speaking Monday in the coal-mining state of Kentucky, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt said he would be issuing a new set of rules overriding the Clean Power Plan, the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's dr...

City questions cost to recycle, removes expense from budgetThe Russellville City Council Finance Committee conducted its second meeting to review various city department budgets for 2018. District Judge Don Bourne told committee members he had five full-time employees and one part-time. Court fines were expected to bring in $500,000, giving District Court a net revenue of $392,791 after expenses of $119,209. Total maintenance and operations were down nearly $7,000, and the $119,209 anticipated expense...

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BY SEAN INGRAMsean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

YCEC sets guidelines for vote centersDANVILLE -- The Yell County Election Commission (YCEC) recently met on Oct. 2 to determine a set of standard requirements for Yell County Vote Centers. The set of requirements will be used to determine if a vote center qualifies against those standards and should remain open or be closed. Two months ago the YCEC heard comments and concerns from county residents about the possibility of reducing the number of polling sites though no other actio...

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BY PATRICIA SPEARS
pspears@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Community people: RHS Rotary Interact ClubTHE COURIER / Submitted The RHS Rotary Interact Club hosted its own version of the kindness rock project called "Courage for Cooper" in honor of their teacher and faculty adviser Beth Cooper, who is undergoing her own personal health issue. The rocks were painted and placed around Russellville. If rock collectors find one, they can keep it or take it to a new place to be found. Cooper is a member of the Russellville Downtown Rotary Club and th...

Rape-prevention programs face questionsSTATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Training programs around the country are trying to teach bystanders to stop sexual assault, and now is when they have to be especially alert. Campus sexual assault reports are so common at the beginning of the fall semester, college administrators call this time of year the "red zone." Penn State University sends campus-wide text alerts when someone has been sexually assaulted. During the last academic year, there were 29...

Wildfires ravage Northern California with shocking speedSANTA ROSA— An onslaught of wildfires across a wide swath of Northern California broke out almost simultaneously then grew exponentially, swallowing up properties from wineries to trailer parks and tearing through both tiny rural towns and urban subdivisions. Authorities said that at least 10 people are dead, with 100 injured, and as many as 1,500 homes and businesses have been destroyed. All three figures were expected to surge in the coming ...

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By JEFF CHIU and ELLEN KNICKMEYER, Associated PressAssociated Press

Third Arkansas suspect arrested in death of Italian touristLITTLE ROCK — Police in Little Rock say they have arrested a third suspect in connection with the shooting death of an Italian tourist. Authorities say 24-year-old Fanicqua Blalock is being held in the Pulaski County Jail without bond. She faces charges of aggravated robbery and capital murder and is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. Blalock is one of three people accused in the July 28 killing of 31-year-old Carlo Marigliano. Police s...

Arkansas AG again rejects bid for legal marijuana in stateLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas' attorney general's office has rejected language proposed for a 2018 ballot issue, saying the attempt to legalize marijuana is too ambiguous to make sense. In a letter dated Friday but released Monday, the attorney general's office expressed concerns about a provision that allowed a grower to have 25 mature plants and 25 non-mature plants. If one of the 25 non-mature plants matures, giving a grower 26 mature p...

Obituary: Wanda CagleWanda June Cagle, 82, of Clarksville, formerly of Knoxville, passed away Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017, at Johnson County Regional Hospital in Clarksville. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017, at Knoxville Cemetery. Burial will be at Knoxville Cemetery in Knoxville by Humphrey Funeral Service. Memorials may be made to Alzheimer’s Association Arkansas Chapter 1020...

Obituary: James YandellDANVILLE — James Yandell, age 79, of Briggsville, passed away Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, at St. Vincent Hospital in Little Rock. He was born June 5, 1938, in Harvey, to the late Arvil James and Pearlie Lillian Qualls Yandell. He was a retired logger. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Grady Joe Yandell. Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Shirley Yandell; daughter and son-in-law, Paula and Tito Mendoza of Danville; son and daught...

American Pickers to film localMike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and their team are excited to return to Arkansas. They plan to film episodes of the hit series American Pickers throughout the region in mid-October and November. American Pickers is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique ‘picking’ on History. The hit show follows Mike and Frank, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques. They are alw...

Arkansas Tech University receives Veterans Upward Bound grantArkansas Tech University has earned a federal grant that will allow the institution to enhance its support for veterans of the U.S. Armed Services. Veterans Upward Bound will provide student success resources to 125 veterans at ATU each year. It will be the fourth TRIO program at Arkansas Tech, joining the existing Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math and Science and Student Support Services programs. The grant for Veterans Upward Bound at ATU is f...

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FOR THE COURIER, SAM STRASNERThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Weinstein's company to change its name after his firingNEW YORK — The Weinstein Co. will change its name following the firing of co-founder Harvey Weinstein over sexual harassment allegations, a studio insider said Monday. The insider, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the name change is expected to take some time, but "it will happen." Weinstein's name will also be stripped from several TV projects. Meanwhile, the Hollywood establishme...

Melania Trump filling out her agenda as first ladyWASHINGTON — It was a moment eight months in the making: Melania Trump bounding down the White House lawn to the vegetable garden made famous by her predecessor. Clad in a red plaid shirt, her eyes obscured by dark sunglasses, she greeted members of the local Boys and Girls Club who came to help her harvest and plant new crops. One skeptically asked, "Are you Melania Trump?" "Yes, I'm the first lady" came her cheerful reply. It included two wo...

Buyer's remorse be gone, Walmart puts returns in fast laneNEW YORK — Online sales have divided retailers into two camps: the quick and the dead. To that end, Walmart is altering its policies to speed returns, even it means that nothing is returned at all in some cases. Starting next month through Walmart's app, customers will be able to scan goods they no longer want with their own smartphone and drop it off at a customer service desk. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Monday that by using the app, returns w...